The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-12-01
RATS, CATS AND SNAKES.
SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS BE-
lIEVED BY THE COREANS.

Difference Paid to Reptilcs-Tabhy Not
Held in High observation-disclosures xceed-
ingly Troublesome-The Legend Of the
Farmer and the Snake.
Corean houses are usually more than sup
piled with rats. They gambol about ON the
paper ceilings, if the room is supplied with a
ceiling, if not they burrow in the mass of
mud and mortar between the rafters and the
tiles In case the room is furnished with
ceiling the rats become very disagreeable in
deed, for the thick paper is like drumhead,
and being made up of several layers held to-
gether by rice PASTE the rats pull up strips of
this paper and eat it. The noise is like that
of an amateur brass band, and never fails to
arouse foreigner from the soundest slumber,
be he ever so used to it, while upon the
new conner the effect is quite exaggerated.
By species of drum practice upon this drum
head ceiling the rats may be so frightened
that they will stay away for the rest of the
night
The natives do not like rats, and endeavor in
various ways to get rid of them, as, for in
stance, by placing written character on the
ceiling, or many characters at times, under
the popular supposition that rats, like people,
so respect the written characters that they will
not desecrate it by walking over it. Some
rats however, are said to be like some people,
and the charm does not always work satisfac-
torily.
FREEDOM FOR SNAKES.
Snakes are allowed free liberty in and upon
a Corean house. They usually live in burrows
in the mud under the tiles. These burrows
are doubtless used by the rats during the win
ter time. and they are noticeably absent dur
ing the summer, after the proper occupants
have thawed out. The snakes doubtless make
it lively for the rats, but their principal food
is the eggs and young of the swallows which
live under the caves. One can always tell
when the snake is visible by the excited chat
tering of the birds Hundreds of them con-
gregate about where he may be summing him
self on the hot tiles, and iabber away at him
with all their might Others fly away and
enlist the services of the impudent magpies
who come screaming in their shrill tones and
give Mr.. Snake a sharp dig in some unpro-
tected part. The snake usually gets the worst
of the encounter and runs to cover.
The people will not kill the snakes; they
have superstition based on fear. They trace
it back to story concerning man VINO
killed poisonous snake and afterward was
killed, together with his whole family, by the
mate of the dead reptile The house snakes
are some three feet in length, fat, lazy and
practically harmless.
One cannot help but note the absence of
cats in Corea and as the rats become more
and more troublesome an occasional feline
serenade becomes an appreciated favor Cats
are sometimes kept, but they are seldom seen,
while dogs are everywhere and weasels are
not rarity The latter are always wild and
confne their raids mostly to chickens.
The cat is considered an uncanny animal
and never occupies the place it does in a
European household. The superstition con-
corning the cat is also traced back to story,
and is as harmful to the descendants of the
hero Tor heroine) of the story as it was bene-
fetal in the case of the snake.
A LEGENDARY TALE.